Nigeria’s first basilica

The new minor basilicaOkodili Ndidi writes on the recent inauguration of Nigeria’s first Catholic basilica in Onitsha, Anambra State, concluding that with the expected influx of pilgrims, the state may face new challenges.

A basilica, according to the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, is a holy hall of the King of Kings, sanctified and set apart, were prayers are said and the face of God sought for the enhancement of man’s relationship with God. It is a replica of the church in Rome and comes with the attendant benefits and challenges like those of the Pope’s own church in the Vatican.

There were already 14 basilicas in several countries in Africa, but Nigeria with its teeming Catholic population just had the Onitsha Cathedral elevated to the status of a minor basilica.

During the inauguration which was attended by nearly all bishops in the country and many more from outside the shores of Africa, the governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, Catholic faithful, traditional rulers, clerics and other dignitaries, Okogie blessed God that at last the huge gap in the life of Catholic Church in Nigeria was filled, adding that pilgrims were now saved the cost and stress of having to travel to Rome for pilgrimages as they might do so in the new basilica and still enjoy spiritual fulfillment.

With that elevation, the Catholic Church in Nigeria is faced with the new challenge of living up to the expectations of a basilica. According to Okogie in his homily, “a church that has been honoured with the title of minor basilica must be a centre for a vibrant faith community where the sacraments are properly celebrated. What that means is that the elevation to the status of a basilica places a huge responsibility on the worshiping community of the church concerned.”

He added that such a church that had been elevated to the status of a basilica was to lead the way for the rest of the churches in that diocese and the entire country. He said the celebration of liturgy ought to be exemplary, such that other churches could be guided in their own celebration with what obtained in the basilica.

Another area of challenge, according to Cardinal Okogie, is the temptation to commercialise the basilica, which he said if not resisted would disrupt the needed quietness for spiritual meditations as observed in other basilicas.

“In Nigeria, we want to make money out of everything; wherever a hidden treasure is discovered, there is bound to be crisis, and the basilica is a hidden spiritual treasure. We should be able to draw the line between religion and commerce.

“It should be borne in mind that a basilica is not a tourist centre, but a place of pilgrimage. People do not go there for sight-seeing, but to pray and seek the face of the Lord. There is a real danger that some people might turn this place into a tourist centre. We call on the authorities of this basilica to resist that temptation. They should always emphasise at all times that the basilica is first and foremost a house of prayer,” he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, described such pilgrimage that could be embarked on to the basilica as “a spiritual journey where people have an encounter with God, just like the one Moses had at Mount Horeb and had a transformation.”

Okeke, who disclosed that the making of the basilica started way back in September, 2006, when he wrote the Pope for the Cathedral Church in Onitsha to be elevated to a minor basilica, said that “it is of great benefit for us to have a basilica in this part of the world, where one can easily encounter God and receive both partial and plenary indulgences and abundant spiritual benefits.”

The rector of the basilica which has a seating capacity of over 2,500 worshipers, Reverend Father Marius Obiagwu, acknowledged that the onus of the new status was challenging, adding that the church was now placed with the new responsibility of directing the entire Catholic Church in Nigeria in the area of the conduct of the church’s liturgy.

But he expressed satisfaction that despite the new responsibilities, people who could not afford going to Rome or Jerusalem on pilgrimage could now come to the basilica and still get full spiritual benefits like those who went to Rome.

He said certain conditions were met before the church was elevated to a minor basilica. Some of the conditions were that a church for which the title of basilica is proposed must have been dedicated to God by liturgical rite and must stand out as a centre of active and pastoral liturgy. The church should be of appropriate size and with a sufficiently large sanctuary and the various elements required for the liturgical celebration must be placed according to the requirements of the restored liturgy.

The church should, according to him, be renowned for exemplary worship with the relics of a saint, like that of Nigeria’s Blessed Iwene Tansi, reserved in it.

Speaking at the inauguration, an elated Governor Obi, who is also a devout Catholic, expressed pride in the state, saying that it had continued to pioneer and dominate in nearly all areas of major breakthroughs in the country. He said Nigerian leaders needed prayers to lead the country aright and that a holy city in Nigeria at the time was most timely.h

“We are proud to have the first and only basilica in Nigeria here in Onitsha. It shows that Anambra State is blessed and will remain a pace setter in all areas of human endeavour. We have the highest concentration of black entrepreneurs in the whole of Africa and we have contributed immensely to the economic, social and religious growth of Nigeria. We are always first before others and we have scored yet another first,” he said.

Some of the Catholic faithful who spoke at the occasion expressed gratitude to God for allowing the church in Onitsha record such a feat in their time. Mr. Emeka Okeke, an Onitsha-based cybercafé operator and a devout Catholic, described a basilica as a second Rome and a representative church of the Pope.

He said people outside the town who would come on pilgrimage to the Onitsha Basilica would experience the same religious ecstasy that drew one closer to God during pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Okeke expressed gratitude to God and commended Archbishop Okeke for attracting such apostolic blessing to the Archdiocese of Onitsha.

The Vatican See had, through the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, written to the Archdiocese of Onitsha on May 28 2007 about the upgrading of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha to a minor basilica.

The letter, signed by Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation; and Archbishop Albert Ranjith, Secretary, read in part: “The Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacrament therefore, by the authority of the special faculty granted it by the Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XVI, do with great pleasure dignify the Cathedral Church at Onitsha, dedicated to the Most Holy Trinity with the title of a Minor Basilica, with all right and special provision for divine services in accordance with the decree naming minor basilicas, promulgated on November 9, 1989, with nothing whatsoever obstructing.”

When the Archibishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Okeke, announced the news to a joyous congregation on June 3, 2007 and the administrator of the cathedral became thenceforth addressed as the rector of the basilica and the cathedral’s Centenary Field became the Square of the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity.

The Igbo who are mainly Catholics, greeted the development with fanfare and great expectations of business opportunities that the influx of pilgrims into the commercial city of Onitsha will bring, as they couldn’t wait to showcase their merchandise even on the day of the inauguration.

However, with this development is another major challenge that the government of Anambra State will have to effectively tackle; there is the need to create a cleaner environment out of the present filthy Onitsha, coupled with the burden of controlling the huge traffic of beggars who litter a city which, henceforth, is expected to be playing host to pilgrims from all over the world.